PDF (Lo-Res) - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

NUMBER 89 113
Dunedin
FAR NORTH DUNES
FIGURE 1.—Map of New Zealand showing the study areas on South Island, the four main cities (Auckland, Wellington,
Christchuch, and Dunedin), major geographic features, and degrees of south latitude (numbered bars).
Waitomo Caves and the Far North dunes are areas with important fossil deposits.
vegetation was characterized by its mosaic nature and differed
markedly from the closed-canopy forests of western regions.
The faunas are from sites with diverse taphonomic histories:
10 sites are Laughing Owl deposits, five are swamps, one is a
cave pitfall, two are archaeological, and several are rockshelters
(Worthy and Holdaway, 1996). Most faunas are of Holocene
age, but one is late glacial (10,000-12,000 years old).
The oldest is from Otiran deposits (>24,000-< 100,000 years
old) in alluvial beds in the Waipara Valley.
300km
SOUTH CANTERBURY.—The South Canterbury study area is
at an altitude of 200-400 m and is located between Fairlie,
Raincliff, and Bluecliffs Station (25 km southwest of Timaru).
The climate is very similar to that of the Waikari study area,
and the late Holocene vegetation is assumed also to have been
very similar.
The 59 fossil sites include 27 Laughing Owl deposits, two
falcon deposits, two swamps, and 28 cave pitfall or rockshelter
deposits (Worthy, 1997). The deposits are up to 38,000 years
old, although most are of late-Holocene age.